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Why Barack Obama Should/Will Win (Harsh, but mostly true)
Townhall ^
| October 08, 2008
| Chris Herz
Posted on 10/08/2008 1:11:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Don't misunderstand me: Obama is wrong on Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, health care, corporate tax rates, investment taxes, education flexibility, abortion regulation, immigration policy, meeting with dictators, social security, energy, trade, and believing that subprime lending was a good idea.
He has opportunistically changed or regularly misstated his positions on public financing, gun control, born alive infant protection, wire tapping, timetable for Iraq, elimination of the Bush tax cuts, the DC gun ban, an undivided Israel, the Cuba embargo, NAFTA, participation in town halls with McCain, oil drilling, and support of nuclear power.
He has no major legislative accomplishments as either a State senator or United States Senator, and has never demonstrated an ability to work with members of the other party, despite his claim that's what he'll do.
That being said. He will win this election, and probably deserves to.
"Fight with me, fight with me," McCain passionately demanded at his Republican Convention, which led to a significant bounce in the polls and a type of excitement and momentum Republicans never thought they could see after 8 years of Bush.
We'd be happy to fight for you, Senator. But you have to fight for yourself first.
Here we are, one month prior to the election, and the only one taking the gloves off is Sarah Palin. She can't do this on her own. She shouldn't have to.
McCain let endless opportunities for a knockout punch fly by last night at the debate without even looking like he knew the opportunity existed.
We all know John McCain isn't much of a communicator (just like many of us know Barack Obama isn't much of a leader), but if you can't at least make an effort to stand up and fight for yourself and your ideas in the midst of a campaign... can you really be President of the United States?
Senator McCain - your health care plan is far superior to Barack Obama's. Learn to articulate it. Barack Obama claims he's giving 95% of Americans a tax cut, when only 70% of Americans pay taxes. Call him on it. Barack Obama deceptively tries to make it look like you're giving a targeted tax cut to oil companies. Clarify. Barack Obama discusses Rwanda and Darfur when expressing circumstances where military action would have been worth it... as if he has no idea what was going on in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Remind him.
Americans are fed up with Republicans, Senator McCain, and they're not giving you the benefit of the doubt. If you can't stand up and articulate your differences from the Bush Administration (which are significant) due to your fear of alienating the conservative base... then you don't deserve to win. Fight, Senator McCain, fight.
The status quo is not on the ballot, as much as Obama would like people to believe. Both men will be different than the last 8 years. And while Obama hasn't proposed anything that we haven't already seen from Clinton, Carter, or some other Democratic leader over the history of our nation - he has the amazing ability of packaging old ideas as "change"... and he deserves credit for that. You could have done the same, Senator McCain, but you have chosen time and time again to play it safe.
To my friends who support Barack Obama; you're not going to convince me to change my vote because there isn't a single major issue I agree with your candidate on. But I must say this... we have seen 8 years of a President who seems to think that there's no value in trying to articulate a vision to the country, and no need to fight back against what is often an unfair barrage of attacks by Republicans, Democrats, and the media. If a President of the United States becomes a punching bag, he or she is no longer effective. President Bush had a 90% approval rating during 9/11 and stayed above 50% for the majority of his first term... but then quickly slipped to numbers almost as low as the Democratic Congress after deciding that he was above the need to communicate to and WITH the people.
You work FOR the people, Mr. President. Act like it.
John McCain is a wise, tested leader. But hardly anyone sees that because he's too busy making bad jokes and talking about the DNA of a bear. Barack Obama is an arrogant, untested Senator with socialist ideas and a hunger for government domination. But no one sees that because he's too busy not talking about his record or his plans.
Who wins in that battle? Barack Obama. It's 2008. We're connected, busy people who make our decisions based on posters, sound bites, SNL, and YouTube videos. You needed to play that game, Senator McCain, and you didn't. You trusted that the American people would examine your records. No time for that.
You were never supposed to get this far, Senator McCain. The atmosphere was too Anti-Republican for you to even stand a chance. You needed that little extra bit of fight to put you over the top, Senator, and at some point along the line... you decided the Americans didn't wanna see anger or passion. Wrong. That's exactly what we wanted to see.
Now, I can't help but notice that the four major polls released today by Rasmussen, Reuters, Hotline, and Battleground have Obama up by 6, 2, 1, and 4 respectively... which are actually all very weak and surprising to me...Obama had far bigger leads in the same polls last week... so I may be premature in calling this thing...
But the fact of the matter is, it's widely reported that the majority of American's politics are more closely aligned to John McCain (center right) than Barack Obama (far left), and an inability to communicate that stark difference and to relate with the people who share your ideals... is a failure that SHOULD cost an election.
See ya in 2012.
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2008; 2008polls; election; electionpresident; elections; gloomanddoom; mccain; obama; palin
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
21
posted on
10/08/2008 1:22:52 PM PDT
by
Canedawg
(If the law supposes that, said Mr. Bumble, the law is a ass, a idiot.)
To: 2ndDivisionVet
“McCain let endless opportunities for a knockout punch fly by last night at the debate without even looking like he knew the opportunity existed.”
Thats what drove me crazy. He had openings aplenty and wouldn’t try to land a big hit. He let BHO off on a lot of issues in front a gigantic audience. The debate was a wasted opportunity. Heck the big thing that will be remembered from the debate that McCain brought up was that $300 bailout idea of his. Thats what people will remember.
To: LS
“No Dem can win with these kinds of internals, I don’t care what the “big polls” show.”
In addition to that, the polls out today show Hussein’s lead has shrunk to 1 or 2 points.
To: 2ndDivisionVet
Please do not take me wrong:
“Who wins in that battle? Barack Obama. It’s 2008. We’re connected, busy people who make our decisions based on posters, sound bites, SNL, and YouTube videos. You needed to play that game, Senator McCain, and you didn’t. You trusted that the American people would examine your records. No time for that. “
But this is the whole thing. McCain is not playing the game. He is playing a very tight game but it his game and the dims hate it. I do not believe amabo is going to win, infact I do not believe it will be even close.
The distinctions between McCain and that one is stark enough, the people’s will see this if John does not muddy the water to much. Sarah on the other hand can go for the throat and not let up. This is why he picked, the more they attack, the stronger she gets.
24
posted on
10/08/2008 1:25:04 PM PDT
by
BornToBeAmerican
(Sarahcuda = the dems worst nightmare)
To: DemonDeac
“Follow the McCain money”
Okay, I will. McCain just opened 71 offices in California.
To: 2ndDivisionVet
John McCain will go down in history as the man who extinguished the shinning city on a hill unless he talks straight about his opponent.
YOU ARE IN A BATTLE FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA, SEN. McCAIN!
NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! THIS IS WAR!
Obama's street level minions are little different than the bell hops at the Hanoi Hilton.
Wake up damn it!
America wants a leader!
26
posted on
10/08/2008 1:25:56 PM PDT
by
Islander7
(The only thing Obama has to fear is the truth!)
To: LS
Both candidates are completely unelectable on their own merits. Wasn’t that long ago that FR was a bastion of anti-McCain rhetoric, turned ‘round only by Sarah. BHO has a great suit, with nothing in it. The only thing that makes either candidate viable to any degree is the equal inanity of the other - and they’re running neck-and-neck in the process.
Sure McCain can’t win.
Neither can Obama.
Thing is, one of ‘em has to.
27
posted on
10/08/2008 1:27:05 PM PDT
by
ctdonath2
(The average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. - Ratatouille)
To: JamesP81
Bi-partisan. God, I hate that word! McCain’s accomplishments have been “reaching across the isle” to right legislation in a “bi-partisan” way and fighting his own base.
It’s sad to say but I think W is a better communicator.
To: 2ndDivisionVet
More Bush on TV won't help McCain.
But he does have that secret weapon that may come up with a helpful "October surprise."
29
posted on
10/08/2008 1:28:19 PM PDT
by
x
To: 2ndDivisionVet
Now up to 18
1) Polls that show Obama ahead tell a different story when internals are studied.
2) Hillary and Bill dont want Obama to win, since she wants to run again in 2012
3) Hussein being Obamas middle name is still news to most people.
4) A picture of Obama dressed as a Muslim (there are at least three) is still worth 1000 words (3000 in this case). Man your email station! Post bills!
5) The PUMAs who know the hows and whys of Hillary getting cheated, will vote Palin, and will pull others.
6) Bitter ... [Gun Clingers], will vote McCain
7) The Palins ARE America and the conservative base. America and the conservative base will vote accordingly.
8) The NRA has 8 figures of ads to unload in swing states
9) Obama is only 5 points up in New York! New York!
10) The Democrats were talking about Democratic consultants freaking out over Obama mis-managing his campaign before they settled into poll alteration.
11) The Enemedia is already spreading the meme that if Obama loses, it is racism. They see the tea leaves ...
12) The Media was calling the election for Kerry ELECTION MORNING in 2004, and Carter and Reagan polled evenly on election day! Also, www.InTrade.com had Kerry as an 80/20 favorite on election morning 2004. SOMEONE is trying to buffalo us!
13) McCain has not yet played either the Jeremiah Wright card nor the Tony Rezko card!
14) Plenty of white Democratic voters are unimpressed with Obama, and will not vote for him. Google “Bradley Effect”.
15) Obama has only 60% of the Jewish vote, compared to the 75% Kerry got.
16) The Christian base that re-elected Bush in 2004, knows Sarah is more than a Sunday Christian, and is praying for her.
17) McCain opened 50 offices in California. It’s in play!
18) Polls are meant by the liberal media, to SHAPE public opinion, not report it.
30
posted on
10/08/2008 1:29:54 PM PDT
by
ROTB
(Our Constitution [is] for a [Christian] people. It is wholly inadequate [for] any other. -John Adams)
To: 2ndDivisionVet
Pretty accurate and dead on with Bush’s failure to communicate to the people. I have never experienced a President who refused to communicate his message and ideas during the last four years. He indeed has become a punching bag.
31
posted on
10/08/2008 1:30:46 PM PDT
by
MBB1984
To: 2ndDivisionVet
McCain had an opportunity. The public thought the country was going in the wrong direction. Instead of identifying why this is so and running on how he would right the country, McCain wasted time telling the public why Obama should not be President.
Also McCain is inept. In response to getting bin Laden, McCain said he knew how to get him but if he told how, he would be telegraphing his punches. What a pantsload, if he knew how, he sure could have whispered how in Bush’s ear.
What the Republicans needed was an updated Contract with America. Maybe they will do it again in 2012 and wrest control of Congress as Gingrich did. The lesson, if you stand for nothing, even an Obama will beat you.
32
posted on
10/08/2008 1:30:53 PM PDT
by
ex-snook
("But above all things, truth beareth away the victory.")
To: 2ndDivisionVet
To: 2ndDivisionVet
McCain in two polls released today is 1 or 2 points behind. Most polls showing O up are over sampling dems or blacks or both.
I for one am a little tired of these whining blowhards writing such garbage.
Hell why even vote, just give the country over to the Maxist Obama instead of the socialist McCain.
The worlds markets are voting with their money concerning the O and if we elect him the markets will crash more. They are crashing now because they fear the O and his Marxist friends will win.
I’m afraid if he does we will have blood in our streets before he finishes his first term.
34
posted on
10/08/2008 1:33:50 PM PDT
by
stockpirate
(US Congress just created the right to own slaves, problem is, we are the slaves.)
To: 2ndDivisionVet
Obama Just Can't Get Anything Right.
Barack Obama Was Wrong - The Surge Worked In Iraq:
* US casulaties are down almost 80%, violence is down even more to the lowest levels since the war started and it's directly due to the troop surge that John McCain was among the first to support. The surge worked, Al Qaeda In Iraq is being neutralized and stability and cooperation is growing among Iraqis. Barack Obama was wrong to oppose the surge and was wrong when he said it wouldn't work and was wrong when he said that it would make the violence worse.
And now, faced with the undeniable success of the surge, Obama has the audacity to simply distort the truth, in an interview aired the very night that John McCain accepted the Republican Presidential Nomination, saying that "nobody anticipated" the surge would succeed like it did. John McCain thought it would work, knew it would work and that's why he pushed for it from the very beginning.
In Barack Obama's First Major Foreign Policy Decision As US Senator - He Voted Against The Surge And He Got It Completely Wrong.
FannieMae former-CEO's Golden Parachutes Landed Them Right Into The Obama Campaign:
* John McCain was right to co-sponsor a Senate Bill to reform FannieMae's recklessness back in 2005, to head off the coming subprime mortgage meltdown. That bill was blocked by Senate Democrats. The Chairman & CEO of FannieMae at the time, Franklin D. Raines, soon took an "early retirement" amid investigations by the SEC for "accounting irregularities" and was sued for his mismanagement of FannieMae, lawsuits which he just settled this year by paying out millions in penalites. Raines is now one of Barack Obama's economic advisors.
And another former FannieMae Chairman & CEO, Jim Johnson, led Barack Obama's vice-presidential search committee. In 2004, a Federal Investigation found during Johnson's tenure, FannieMae had improperly deferred $200 million in expenses and later found that FannieMae substantially under-reported Johnson's compensation to the tune of almost $20 million. Coincidentially, Obama has received more campaign contributions from FannieMae employees than ALL other Senators except one, Senator Chris Dodd.
We Need More Reform And More Accountibility With Less Favoritism And Less Conflict Of Interest.
Allowing Born-Alive Babies To Die Is Not Part Of A Woman's Choice:
* When asked by Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren "When does a baby get human rights", Barack Obama said glibly that it was "above my pay grade". How can a man who wants to be President Of The United States say that questions about Human Rights are "above my pay grade"? Barack Obama, while Illinois State Senator actually voted several times to allow newborn infants, babies born alive who survived late-term abortions, to be neglected, denied medical care, starved and killed in hospitals as a form of "reproductive rights" and "women's choice".
Even dogs would have more rights than babies who survive abortion under laws supported by Obama. Barack Obama voted on record to say that those living breathing infants do not have human rights and yet he didn't even have the courage to answer that same question at a time when the people of the nation he wants to lead are all watching and listening. That's just shameful cowardice.
We Can't Protect Human Rights If We Can't Protect Human Life.
ALL Americans Will Pay For Obama's Tax Increases:
* When taxes on business go up, customers pay for that tax in higher prices in goods and services. Barack Obama's tax increase on business will be payed by everyday consumers and that affects EVERYBODY. Obama also wants to double the capital-gains tax on investments. When capital-gains taxes go up, it stifles investment incentives which is a direct hit for any middle-class folks with stock investments, and an indirect hit to anyone wih an IRA, 401k or pension because of the stifling ripple effect it would cause in the markets.
And Barack Obama has even admitted himself that he wants to double the capital-gains tax NOT to raise revenue, but rather to get even with people who make money on their market investments - he said back in April 2008 that he wanted to raise the capital-gains tax NOT to increase revenue but simply "for the purpose of fairness". How is it "fair" to punish people who invest their money and put their money at risk in the stock market? If anything it punishes the entire market and everyone who has any investments in the market (including IRAs, 401ks, pensions, etc.) will be punished by a stifled stock market that is smothered by higher taxes "for the purpose of fairness".
Taxing "The Rich" Does Not Create Jobs Or Wealth For The Poor.
You Don't Control Spending By Creating New Spending Programs:
* Barack Obama's own campaign website details no less than $200 Billion per year in new spending programs or over a quarter of a trillion dollars in new spending in just his first four years as President. $85 Billion-a-year in income-tax credits to non-payers of income-tax, $65 Billion-a-year "global poverty tax", $65 Billion-a-year gov't health care plan, $30 Billion-a-year for "free" college tuition, $25 Billion-a-year increase in foreign aid, $18 Billion-a-year in education spending, $15 Billion-a-year in green energy, $5 Billion-a-year universal mortgage credit, $5 Billion mortgage bailout plan, $2 Billion-a-year "Clean Technologies Venture Capital" slush fund, $3.5 Billion for a national service plan, $1.5 Billion "paid-leave" funded by the gov't. Put it all together, and we are talking about a $200 billon plan, $800 Billion over four years.
And these are just the STARTING figures. As a universal rule, gov't programs always end up costing far more than their projected to cost when first proposed. And this doesn't even consider the $700 Billion FannieMae/FreddieMac bailout being pushed through Congress right now.
Barack Obama's Answer To Every Domestic Issue Starts With A Billion Dollars And Ends With A Bigger Government Program.
Inconsistent Rhetoric Reveals Inconsistent Resolve:
* While campaigning in Oregon in April 2008, Barack Obama nonchalantly dismissed the very serious notion that Iran is a threat to the US saying, "They don't pose a serious threat to us... Iran may spend one one-hundredth of what we spend on the military. I mean, if Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance". Then, just two days later, Obama proclaimed, "Iran is a grave threat. It has an illicit nuclear program, it supports terrorism across the region..." Well, which is it? Is Iran a threat or not?
Confusing statements such as this do not show a confidence of understanding or resolve. Back in August 2007, Barack Obama stated categorically that he would certainly launch military attacks within Pakistan against terrorists without then-President Mushariff's approval or cooperation "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will,". Pakistan is a nuclear power and ally in the region. Apparently Obama thinks Iran is less of a threat than Pakistan because he has said repeatedly since then that he'd prefer to use economic santions against Iran if they don't cooperate with stopping their nuclear program - but if Pakistan is uncooperative about terrorists hiding in their mountain caves, he says he'd launch military attacks inside Pakistan.
But then, we don't even know if Obama is serious when he says he would support economic santions against Iran. Last year Obama was one of only few Senators who voted against the bipartisan-supported Kyl-Lieberman Amendment which would impose economic sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Even Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin voted for sanctions, but Obama voted 'no' calling it "saber-rattling". Again, Obama's recent trail of very inconsistent stances regarding the threat of nuclear-armed Islamicists (whether they be in Pakistan or Iran) is not something that creates confidence in ANY position Obama says he has regarding these threats.
Obama's Inconsistent And Contradictory Responses To These Serious National Security Threats Are Inconsistent And Contradictory With Him Being Taken Seriously About Any Response To National Security Threats.
You Are Who You Associate With:
Obama either didn't know or didn't care about whom he intentionally chose to associate with in college just as long as they were, in his own words, "the more politically active black students. The foreign students. The Chicanos. The Marxist Professors and the structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets... we were resisting bourgeois society's stifling constraints."
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his friend and fellow partner on several Chicago community organization boards and in whose home he launched his political career, William Ayers, was an infamous and unrepentent radical leftwing terrorist who boasted about planting bombs and killing people in this country.
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his colleague, supporter and personal friend, Rashid Khalidi, who was married to the President of the Arab American Action Network to which Obama helped funnel $40,000 from his Woods Fund, was also a long-time anti-Israeli and an ardent supporter of the PLO while working for the Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his friend Tony Rezko who bailed Obama out of financial trouble and bought him a home was a such a corrupt slumlord that he was just convicted for years of committing extortion, fraud and money laundering.
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that one of his vice-presidential search committee advisors, Jim Johnson was the former Chairman & CEO of Fannie Mae which, in a 2004 Federal Investigation, was found to have improperly deferred $200 million in expenses, substantially under-reported his own compensation to the tune of almost $20 million and who personally received below market-rate loans from Countrywide Financial because the corporation considered them to be "FOA's" - "Friends of Angelo" (Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo).
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his close friend, Frank Marshall Davis, whom he wrote about with such admiration in his book "Dreams Of My Father" was a radical member of the Communist Party USA, an ardent Stalinist and a outspoken supporter of the 60's Black-Power movement.
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his own Church, Trinity United, was founded on the racist 'Black Liberation Theology" teachings of the 1960's radical Black-Supremacist James Cone who wrote and spoke extensively of his hatred of whites including: "If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy."
Obama either didn't know or didn't care that his own pastor of over 20 years, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who conducted his marriage and children's baptisms and served as adivsor on his campaign had regularly spewed the most offensive, racist, white-hating, America-hating "sermons" in his very own Church and praised the likes of Louis Farrahkahn, Mohammar Khaddaffi and sympathized with Hamas.
Gee, what a wonderful judge of character this guy is.
Obama Has Spent His Whole Life Intentionally Associating With Militants, Marxists, Radicals, Racists, Crooks And Communists.
To: 2ndDivisionVet
“We'd be happy to fight for you, Senator. But you have to fight for yourself first. “
why stop with McCain???? how about the entire GOP????? when will they start to fight for themselves????
for six years I was out in the streets with Freepers and combatants from Protest Warriors fighting American hating liberals.....several times during the RNC in ‘04....numerous Iraq War Anniversary protests...the anti-war protest on the UN in Feb ‘03 (when I had to leave because my wife unexpectedly went into labor 10 days early)...
EVERY time the GOP calls me for a donation since late 2005 I tell them the SAME thing- when they start fighting for me the way I fight for them then I'll consider contributing...
36
posted on
10/08/2008 1:36:44 PM PDT
by
God luvs America
(When the silent majority speaks the earth trembles!)
To: HammerOfTheDogs
The only way I would support B. Hussein Osama winning the election, is that it might speed up time for the Rapture.
Speed up aside, socialism never comes to power to be gone in just 4 years. Win by Obama means socialism for the lifetime of most of us, baring major upheaval like Civil War.
37
posted on
10/08/2008 1:37:35 PM PDT
by
alecqss
To: LS
I hope you’re right, but I just have to say it: Remember ‘06.
38
posted on
10/08/2008 1:38:03 PM PDT
by
chimera
To: 2ndDivisionVet
OK, I'm nominating this for the Doom-and-Gloom Drama Queen Thread of the Day. (Not you, 2ndDivisionVet, but some of the posters on here who seem to think it is November 5th.)
I will be giving these awards daily.
Stay tuned.
39
posted on
10/08/2008 1:38:27 PM PDT
by
Allegra
( Go Sarah!)
To: 2ndDivisionVet
someone said it best today.
we had two senators debating yesterday.
(and one incompetent journalist protecting the democrat from excitement)
we need less senator MORE PRESIDENT.
40
posted on
10/08/2008 1:38:42 PM PDT
by
longtermmemmory
(VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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